something which Annael brought up and is definitely true. You wont have two cats that are alike, just as two golden retrievers are completely alike. A lot of this is the personality of the animal but also socialisation of the animal. Any dog can be loving and caring if you socialise them to be just some dogs personality traits (defined by breed) are for a more loving (needy) dog.

Smaller dogs are usually more yappy as usually they are a terrier or were bread to be watchdogs as apposed to a guard dog.

Something interesting about goldens which i dont know if you ever experienced with your golden is they have whats called a soft mouth, so they can carry eggs long distances in their mouths without cracking them (as can other retrieving breeds).

I know what you mean about smaller dogs being more pesky though, always got to keep an eye on them to make sure they are not getting into mischief, lol.

I guess ultimately i feel like i am sharing my home and have an extra family member to a greater extent with a dog than a cat. After all dogs are man's best friend but i understand that not everyone has the time to dedicate to a dog - essentially a 2 year old baby and a cat can be a good option in those cases or if someone finds cats more interesting as the cat is slightly more wild?

One thing i have read is dog owners in the USA are more likely to have a degree than a cat owner. However the opposite is true in the UK with cat owners more likely to have the degree (potentially more intelligent?) If you have a cat and a dog then you are covered wherever you go, lol.